Top seed Simona Halep overcame a slow start to defeat Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4, 6-0 in the first round of the French Open. The Romanian trailed 4-2 in the opening set before rattling off ten straight games to close out the match for her 15th consecutive victory as she celebrated her 29th birthday in style.
Halep races into round two with birthday win
Sorribes Tormo began well, using her defense to draw errors from Halep to earn two break points in the fourth game of the match and a volley winner gave her a 3-1 lead. The Romanian broke right back, but some good work in longer rallies earned the world number 70 another break and a 4-2 advantage.
Halep broke back once more and held to love, utilizing her forehand, to even the set at 4-4. Pushing Sorribes Tormo back, the world number two struck a forehand winner to claim the advantage 5-4 and she set up triple set point with a backhand winner and she broke to love after Sorribes Tormo dumped a forehand into the net.
The top seed showed off her defensive skills as she threw up an overhead that Sorribes Tormo made an error off of to break in the first game of the second set. After saving a break point in her own service game, she stung a forehand winner to go ahead a double break at 3-0.
A much easier hold made it eight games in a row and a sixth consecutive break put the Romanian within a game of victory. Serving for the match, she converted on her second match point as the Spaniard sent a final forehand wide to conclude the 70-minute contest.